AFCON hosts Ivory Coast fail in bid to appoint Renard as coach

Ivory Coast’s midfielder Franck Kessie consoles teammate Oumar Diakite after Equatorial Guinea won their Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A match at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan on Jan. 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 26 January 2024
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AFCON hosts Ivory Coast fail in bid to appoint Renard as coach

  • The FFF confirmed to AFP that they were not willing to loan the 55-year-old, who is currently the coach of the France women’s team
  • Renard enjoys great popularity in Ivory Coast after leading the team to the 2015 African title

PARIS: Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast have failed in a remarkable bid to appoint Herve Renard as coach for the remainder of the tournament after the French Football Federation (FFF) refused to release him.
The FFF confirmed to AFP that they were not willing to loan the 55-year-old, who is currently the coach of the France women’s team.
Talks had taken place between the Ivorian Football Federation and their French counterparts in an attempt to bring in Renard midway through the Cup of Nations.
Renard enjoys great popularity in Ivory Coast after leading the team to the 2015 African title.
He also won the competition with Zambia in 2012 and has managed Morocco and Angola.
Yet he is under contract as coach of the French women’s team through to the end of this year’s Paris Olympics, and Les Bleues also have a UEFA Nations League semifinal to play against Germany in Lyon on February 23.
The Ivorians had hoped to have Renard on the bench for their last-16 tie against reigning champions Senegal on Monday, while the AFCON final takes place on February 11.
The Elephants squeezed into the last 16 as a best third-placed team after a group stage in which they defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-0 before losing 1-0 to Nigeria and 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea.
Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked as coach on Wednesday due to the team’s unconvincing form, with former player Emerse Fae named as interim boss.


Trezeguet brace gives Ahly CAF Champions League victory

Updated 24 January 2026
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Trezeguet brace gives Ahly CAF Champions League victory

  • Success for the Red Devils in Alexandria opened a three-point lead in Group B for the record 12-time African champions
  • Ahly have seven points and Young Africans four after three rounds

JOHANNESBURG: Former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan scored the goals that gave Al Ahly of Egypt a 2-0 victory over Young Africans of Tanzania on Friday in the CAF Champions League.
Success for the Red Devils in the Mediterranean city Alexandria opened a three-point lead in Group B for the record 12-time African champions.
Ahly have seven points and Young Africans four after three rounds. JS Kabylie of Algeria and FAR Rabat of Morocco, who meet on Saturday, have one point each.
Young Africans created more chances than Ahly in a cagey first half only to fall behind in the third minute of added time.


A perfect cross from Mohamed Hany was nodded by captain Trezeguet into the corner of the net past Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
Ahly stamped their authority on the match in the second half and deservedly increased their lead on 75 minutes.
Slick, one-touch passing set up Trezeguet, who moved across several defenders inside the area before curling the ball into the far corner of the net.
The goals lifted Trezeguet to five in the Champions League this season, level with Brazilian Tiago Reis from Angolan club Petro Luanda at the top of the charts.
Slovenian substitute Nejc Gradisar squandered a good chance to put Ahly even further ahead when he fired wide with only Diarra to beat.
In Group C, Abdelrazig Omer bagged a brace as Al Hilal of Sudan drew 2-2 with former champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Pretoria in another top-of-the-table clash.
Sundowns, whose lone title came in 2016, and Hilal have five points each, with the South Africans ahead on goal difference.
A victory for either Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in Lubumbashi on Sunday will move the winners within one point of Sundowns and Hilal.
Omer put Hilal ahead on 15 minutes from close range after a run down the wing and pass from Burundian Jean Claude Girumugisha.
Sundowns were level seven minutes later as Brazilian Arthur Sales got behind the Hilal defense and his weak goal attempt trickled into the net.
A thunderbolt from South African international Teboho Mokoena from outside the box on 64 minutes edged Sundowns in front.
But once again a lead lasted only seven minutes. Poor defending by Sundowns enabled Omer to score again and take his goal tally in Africa this season to four.
Hilal substitute Emmanuel Flomo from Liberia was shown a straight red card for striking Khuliso Mudau in the face, leaving the visitors to play with 10 men for the last four minutes of regular time.
A further four matchday three fixtures are scheduled for Saturday, including defending champions Pyramids of Egypt away to Renaissance Berkane of Morocco.